


i treat my enemies like friends so i can reach out and touch

by calthighway



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Choking, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Light Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24113965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calthighway/pseuds/calthighway
Summary: “I hate you,” Callum mumbles into his pillow, he says it as a reminder. To remind Ben that even though they’ve just had sex, it doesn’t change a thing. Callum can’t stand him.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 11
Kudos: 153





	i treat my enemies like friends so i can reach out and touch

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthdaaay katie (@bencal) x

1.

 _“I hate you,”_ Callum mumbles into his pillow, he says it as a reminder. To remind Ben that even though they’ve just had sex, it doesn’t change a thing. Callum can’t stand him.

“I adore ya too,” Ben smirks, running his tongue along his bottom lip.

“Piss off,” Callum curses, running a hand over his face. “I think it’s time ya left now.”

“Need a shower first,” Ben shrugs, no sign of moving. “Join me?”

“ _No,”_ Callum shakes his head. “No shower, just _go_.”

Ben runs his fingers over the mark left by Callum’s teeth on his chest - can’t imagine the state his back is in, Callum’s nails digging in and scratching.

It was angry sex, pent up frustration from both of them. A hatred they’d grown to have over the years due to family differences and not because they actually had real reason to hate one another.

“Imagine your Stuart walking in on us,” Ben teases, “that’d be a tough one to explain ya self out of.”

“He’d kill ya,” Callum sits up, “and I ain’t about to watch my brother go down for your murder, so just get out. Now.”

Ben hasn’t finished having fun yet, though. The sweat on his body still fresh, the _yes, yes don’t stop_ from Callum’s lips still hot on his neck.

Callum hates Ben. But Ben hates Callum just as much, Ben just chooses to have fun with it. Uses it to his advantage, takes pleasure in seeing sweet Callum not so sweet when his buttons are pushed.

“I ain’t finished here yet,” Ben sighs, turning to look at Callum - blue eyes turning dark and Ben gets up onto his knees. “Thought we could have round two?”

Callum’s eyes widen. “Are ya mad? There ain’t gonna be a round two. What happened cant happen again, Ben.”

“It shouldn’t have happened the first time, but it did. It’s only a bit of fun,” Ben whispers, “it don’t mean I wanna put a ring on ya finger.”

Callum groans in annoyance, pushing himself out of bed. “ _I’m_ going for a shower. _You_ are going.”

Ben’s never been good at listening, and he’s definitely not going to listen to _Callum_. He chuckles to himself, breathes in mix of both their aftershaves and sweat, causing a shiver down his spine.

Ben silently makes his way into the bathroom, Callum already in the shower with his back to him. Ben takes a moment to take in the sight, appreciate the curve of his arse and the thickness of his thighs before opening the shower door and stepping inside.

Callum turns at Ben’s teeth sinking into the flesh of his shoulder, an exasperated expression on his face, before Ben’s covering his mouth to stop him from ranting and raving and gets down on his knees.

Nails dig harshly into Ben’s wrist as he takes Callum into his mouth, his spare hand cupping his balls and Ben hums at the way Callum looks down at him like he wants to rip him apart

Callum just digs in tighter and grabs the back of Ben’s hair, hating Ben even more for how amazing it feels.

“ _I hate you,”_ Callum groans on a cry, Ben swallowing every bit of him.

Callum continues to shower alone. Ben leaves without another word. Stuart returns moments later.

2.

A fight breaks out in The Vic. Some comment made by Phil to Stuart about Rainie, and of course Ben finds himself amongst it all, and because of that, Callum gets himself involved, too.

When Ben hits Callum by mistake he wants to say sorry, but that’s not what they are. They aren’t ones to say sorry, they don’t care about each other. The thought doesn’t last long, Callum retaliating and hitting him back.

There’s anger behind Callum’s eyes and stance that Ben’s never seen before, makes him think of himself. How there’s chance of danger beneath everything else.

By the time the fights been broken up, Ben’s already leaving. A cut to his lip that stings, his fists feeling the same.

He makes the short distance to his mums, the door being forced open before he can get chance to lock it.

Callum slams the door behind him, not caring for whoever is upstairs already sleeping.

“Your dad is a nightmare,” Callum huffs. “Where’s he get off talking other people down, eh? Your lot aren’t exactly perfect, are they?”

Ben turns his head to the side, taking a deep breath. “Careful Callum.”

“Why? Gonna hit me again, are ya?” Callum laughs bitterly. “You’re no better than your dad.”

“I didn’t mean to hit ya,” Ben tells him truthfully. “Ya were quick to hit me back though, weren’t ya. So what’s that say about you?”

“That I can handle myself. That _you_ don’t scare me.”

“I think you’ve proved that already, don’t you? When was it? A month or two ago I had you on ya back,” Ben smirks. “Such a pretty sight.”

Callum’s face burns red at the memory. _It was two long months ago,_ Callum thinks. “Shut up.”

“I thought ya liked me being vocal? _Begging_ your name-“

Callum comes for Ben, his hand around Ben’s throat roughly, but Ben looks up at Callum with a fire in his eyes. He cups his hand around Callum’s wrist, “sweet, sweet Callum. If only they could see ya now.”

Callum leans forward to shut Ben up with a kiss. A fight for dominance given away easily by Ben, letting Callum pick him up until he’s on the kitchen table, legs wrapped around Callum’s waist.

Callum’s hand stays around Ben’s throat as Callum reminds Ben just how much he hates him.

Ben says it back through harsh kisses and moans.

3.

“Stop bringing me coffee to work, Ben.”

Ben holds his hands up, folding his leather jacket over his chest as he takes a seat. “I’ve just bought you a drink. You’re being very rude.”

Callum waves a hand out in frustration. “I don’t want ya buying me things!”

“It’s only coffee,” Ben grabs the one he bought for Jay. “Jay doesn’t seem to get so… upset over a _coffee.”_

“It ain’t _just_ coffee though, is it? This is you trying to winding me up.”

“Is it working?” Ben raises his eyebrow, elbows on the table so he can lean closer.

“You’re insufferable,” Callum shakes his head, fighting back a smile.

“That’s better than saying ya hate me, we’ll be friends next,” Ben grins.

“Better chance of Stuart and your dad becoming friends before we do,” Callum tries to turn his attention back down to paperwork.

“Think me and you are a step closer, ya know, what with us fucking-“

“Ben!” Callum looks around, “do ya have to?”

Ben pouts playfully before getting to his feet and walking around the table to Callum. “The only company we’ve got is the stiffs, yeah?”

“Jay won’t be long,” Callum says, turning his chair - unintentionally inviting himself for Ben to stand in between his legs.

“It’s alright, I don’t need long,” Ben leans his hands either side of Callum’s head on the back of his chair.

When Ben kisses Callum it starts how it always does, full of battle and dislike until Callum’s hands are on either side Ben’s face and the kiss turns slow and deliberate - almost as if they have forever for this moment.

Callum locks up, smiling too fondly when Ben’s fingers run softly through his hair. They hide their faces in each other’s neck, hide their smiles and the fact this is different to anything else between them both and anyone else they’ve slept with.

Desire and confusion curse through their bones a long time after.

When Ben stops taking Callum coffee to work, Callum decides to return the favour.

A desperate kiss shared each time until the next.

4.

They argue over Stuart this time, Callum more than annoyed at the fact he more or less agrees with all that Ben says about him.

“He’s still my family,” Callum huffs. “I’ll always have his back.”

“And I’ll always have mine,” Ben says, tilting his head up towards Callum. “Don’t mean we have to keep arguing over them though, does it?”

“You came to _me_ and started this, Ben,” Callum licks his lips. “What did ya think would happen?”

“That you’d have stopped arguing back by now and we’d be doing something more… worthwhile.”

“Ya can’t keep making everything better by just sleeping with me, ya know?”

Ben pulls at Callum’s T-shirt, stands close until their bellies are touching and sighs. “I know, but I like what we’ve got.”

Ben’s words have Callum looking down at him surprised, his lips parted slightly. Callum nods after a minute, “yeah, me too.”

Ben grins then, wrapping his arms around Callum’s neck. “That mean ya don’t hate me anymore?”

“Absolutely not.”

This time, Ben stays the night. Callum spending the night trying to quieten his moans and giggling.

Callum wastes the morning smiling at Ben whilst he sleeps - arm draped over him.

5.

Callum kisses along Ben’s shoulders to wake him up with breakfast in bed.

Ben grumbles before looking up and seeing Callum kneel over him with a tray of a full breakfast and tea. “Could get used to this,” Ben says, kissing Callum lightly before sitting up.

“Why don’t we then, ya know? Make it… _us_ a thing.”

They’ve been sleeping together in secret for months and Callum _knows_ Ben hasn’t been seeing anyone else.

“‘Cause we are supposed to hate each other,” Ben says, before biting into his sausage.

Callum nods, his head falling slightly. “But we don’t do we? We haven’t for ages.”

Ben watches him closely, “what about Stuart?

“He won’t be a problem,” Callum tells him, “what about ya dad?”

“I’m a big boy. I can make my own mistakes,” Ben grins, moving the tray away so he sit on Callum’s lap. “Knew we would be friends before long.”

Callum just laughs, a warm glow in his belly.

_I think we are little bit more than just friends._


End file.
